USS Essex by RGL - FINISHED - Trumpeter - 1/350 - PLASTIC - as she appeared in February 1944

[Canute]

How are you making out acquiring the air group? I see Free Time, over here north of Atlanta Georgia, has some sets, but I'll bet the shipping would be a deal-breaker.

[RGL]

It’s reasonably cheap in Asia, but I’m thinking of just a few on deck during recovery. There’s an excellent colour U tube video from WW2 that depicts it. The commentary is typical 1940’s but wow these young fellas were brave. 

[Red Rhino]

Hi RGL: In the States we refer to them as "the Greatest Generation" I think for good reason. I have never made it to the Pacific battlefields, but have stood on both Utah and Omaha Beaches in France in awe of what they did.

 

What is your process for etching the armor belts on the hull. At first I thought they were scribed, but they looked raised in your pictures.

 

Dave

[channell]

Interesting build! Looking forward to seeing it come together. 

[RGL]

3 hours ago, Red Rhino said:

Hi RGL: In the States we refer to them as "the Greatest Generation" I think for good reason. I have never made it to the Pacific battlefields, but have stood on both Utah and Omaha Beaches in France in awe of what they did.

 

What is your process for etching the armor belts on the hull. At first I thought they were scribed, but they looked raised in your pictures.

 

Dave

I mask the lines of the hull plates and add layers of primer then etch they plates into the primer.it only needs to be about 1mm

[RGL]

So mainly using spares, I’ve started on the interior. 

Edited October 31, 2019 by RGL

[Old Collingwood]

Great work greg.

 

OC.

[yvesvidal]

Beautiful. Lots of precision and details on this deck.

I admire your dexterity.

 

Yves

[RGL]

And the other side. Note most of this will not be visible on from looking inside the side doors. There are 3 elevators, the AOTS intrepid state there are two cylinders per hoist (I can find no photos of this, but I have used cut off big bore barrels. There is also supposed to be lift wells which would be overcapitalising. I intend to have the side lift down and the two centre ones up. 

[yvesvidal]

Amazing. It is going to be interesting to paint all these details....

 

Yves

[popeye the sailor]

awesome progress Greg........looks great!  

[RGL]

Lower hull done. Red rbrown, then red, then pinkish red, 

[RGL]

Mr surfacer put in with a big brush to represent barnacles. Then lights coats of black, green then grey,a filter coat and that will until the boot strap and the rest of the hull is done. Now I can do the hangar deck. 

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by RGL

[Old Collingwood]

What supprises me is - so little depth in the water,  only looks like about twenty feet or so, thats so little for so much weight, as a comparison  HMS Hood  was near 40 feet.

 

OC.

[RGL]

Probably something to do with the weight of the big guns that needed to be counterbalanced below the waterline and the magazines were safer and could be flooded if below the waterline. 

[RGL]

Hangar deck - won’t really be that visible but a good muscle memory exercise for the airbrush 

[lmagna]

Actually the Hood and the Essex were very similar in many ways with the Hood being slightly longer and wider but drawing less water with almost a third more tonnage at full displacement. (About 40,000 tons Vs. 30,000 for the Essex) Fully combat loaded with fuel and ammo the Hood in 1940 was much heavier than the Essex at almost 50.000 tons but only drew 33 feet Vs 34 for the Essex.

 

I think what makes the Essex look so shallow below the waterline is that like all carriers there is so much more above the waterline. The hanger deck alone looks to be more than two stories high. It will be interesting when Greg puts her next to her contemporaries.

Edited November 7, 2019 by lmagna

[RGL]

If you look at Graf Zeppelin it was very high as well 

[popeye the sailor]

also taken into account that when the planes leave the deck,  larger plans loose some lift...........like the B 25 bombers in the Doolittle raid.  they dropped before regaining the lift needed to get altitude.

[RGL]

Hangar deck continues, three shades of grey and some masking so I can paint image interior walls

[RGL]

Interior walls painted, some washes added, elevator pistons added (cut down main gun barrels). Not much visible through the side roller doors 

[RGL]

Underside of the flight deck, starting on the support beams. I’ve had to remove some of the kit plastic so it will sit flush. Thank goodness there is a wooden deck to go on top of this monstrosity 

[RGL]

The PE madness starts, the underside of the bow 

[RGL]

Bit more detail work, underside of the flight deck. Most of this won’t be that visible. 

[lmagna]

Hi Greg

So the under support of the flight deck was a mixture of I beam, (Your Plastistrut) and lighter perforated beam, (The PE in your build). Or is it just that your supplied aftermarket didn't have enough beams?

 

It is beginning to look like there will be more to see by looking through the hanger bay doors than will be visible from outside. Have you ordered your 900 crewmen yet?  

[RGL]

Yes, yes, maybe and no. 900 crew would cost as much as the em whole model plus extras. 
 

it’s just plod work really but nessesary. There is a large about of detail to go but the flight deck does not sit easily on the hull so I need to do the interiors then mask them off so I can paint the outsides. The tricky bits are the stern then the focsle as they will be covered over by the deck, 

[lmagna]

Well 900 might run the bill up a little but there is still a few affordable options out there if you don't mind running a little short handed. You could use the less detailed PE ones in the more hidden areas. 

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=1%2F350+crewmen&_ssn=northstar_models&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.X1%2F350+figures.TRS0&_nkw=1%2F350+figures&_sacat=0

 

http://www.hobbylinc.com/tamiya-sailors-ship-crew-set-144-plastic-model-military-figure-kit-1:350-scale-12622?source=froogle&gclid=CjwKCAiAws7uBRAkEiwAMlbZjhjfeeeTzsF-pcmoU4ozA-4_SygR3A5yasF14XxtomepD01zGV10yxoCxuUQAvD_BwE

 

https://www.megahobby.com/products/naval-figures-for-all-nations-100pc-1-350-white-ensign-models.html

 

I would think that with the open bow and stern of the American WWII carriers that these areas would be the most visible areas of your super detailing.

Edited November 19, 2019 by lmagna

[RGL]

Every photo from WW2 shows a lot of people around. 

[RGL]

So the perforated bars look OK on dry fit 

[lmagna]

In some of the pictures it is a little hard to tell why there are so many crewmen visible. #1 looks like they may be re spotting the aircraft forward to allow landing of aircraft. Not certain what is happening with the Avenger as it looks like he missed his approach but I cannot tell if his tail hook is down or not.

 

#2 is obviously a Pollywog party for crossing the equator and the majority of the crew would probably be on deck.

#4 is repairs or ship to ship transfer of large items and large work parties would be needed.

#s 3,5,6 are interesting because they show the overhead that you are building. It would be great if they were larger so more detail could be seen.                      

Edited November 19, 2019 by lmagna